The 2nd in our series of blogs on the theme of ‘Science that is not heard is not science at all’  taken from the cover of Shaun Hendy’s book Silencing Science[1]

In our last blog we focused on a scientist who described himself as a reticent male scientist who felt compelled to speak out for science.

In this post I’d like to explore the case of an enthusiastic high achieving female scientist who, in speaking out for science faced criticism not only from certain sectors of the public but from other scientists even with regards her hair colour (as if that has anything to do with scientific credibility)

Her commitment to speak out for what she believed was good science especially during the Covid Crisis led to harassment and death threats and a court case that saw the University she worked at pay over $200,000 in compensation for failing to meet its contractual obligations to provide appropriate support as harassment against her intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic

The scientist in question is none-other than Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles.

Born in UK and grew up in South Africa, Siouxie’s academic career began in Scotland at Edinburgh University where she studied medical microbiology followed by a PhD at Oxford before heading to New Zealand in 2009 . She now heads the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab, where she and her team are searching for new antibiotics and trying to understand how bacteria evolve to become more infectious. Winner of numerous research and science communication awards here and overseas she was named as one of BBC’s 100 most influential women of 2020 and the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for 2021.

So, what’s with all the criticism, controversy and death threats and problem with her hair colour.

Well, with a 1980’s rock star name and bright pink hair she doesn’t fit the age-old stereotype of the traditional scientist, does she? So what? Her scientific credentials are more than impressive. Well, it seems it IS a problem for a lot of people. How can she be taken seriously if she has pink hair?

Here is an example of one of the kinder emails she has received about her hair:
“You have always been recognised by this hair colour even though the majority of people do not like it. I think everyone tolerates it as your knowledge is necessary. You will look stunning with dark brown, black hair. Just think about it, as I would hate for you to become replaceable when we need an expert to interview. I know this is not a nice email, but it is founded purely by concern for you. Take care.”[2]

And from the less `kind’ end of the spectrum:

`Oh I thought you hung yourself, ok I’ll keep praying’.
`Time to fly out on your broom’.
`Fark off back to the hole you oozed out from. Probably needed to keep your mouth shut’.
” How are you not in prison for covid fraud? Pretending virus exist. Pretending covid is real”.

That last one is surely a beacon call for more public science education/outreach.

So, she’s not your typical middle-aged male in a lab coat scientist.

Should the focus not be on the message not the messenger?

During the Covid crisis in 2020 she made countless media appearances in the efforts to increase public awareness of the Covid virus, how it and viruses in general behave and the need for the stringent control measures in place at the time that are estimated to have saved about 20,000 lives.[3]

“The public health measures weren’t going to work if people didn’t follow them and that really involved understanding the science, and that was what we were doing as part of our job. It would be a bit of a tragedy if no one spoke about it. I have very strong values, and I didn’t want lots of people dying during the pandemic” [4]

Acclaimed NZ Journalist John Campbell said voiced his support by saying “I can’t begin to explain how universities would have let us down if [the university’s suggestion that academics limit their public commentary] had been consistent and universal policy during 2020 and 2021”

Associate Professor Siouxie Wiles is unabashed in her view that one of the drivers of her maintaining a public profile is to overcome the age-old stereotypes of what a scientist looks like with hope of encouraging a wider range of people into science.

You can read more here from a variety of sources:

• Siouxie’s Saga
• Auckland University ordered to pay Siouxsie Wiles more than $200,000
• Siouxsie Wiles on Covid-19, conspiracies and a life in science, at the 2021 NZ International Science Festival

Issues to think about:

• To what extent should scientific credibility be based on how a scientist looks/dress?
• To what extent should a scientist speak up on an issue outside of their primary area of expertise.[5]
• To what extent and how should a university support and protect a scientist’s academic freedom to speak out in public and is subjected to harassment and threats for doing so.

[5] The NZ Royal Society Code of Professional Standards and Ethics asks that scientists not present themselves as experts outside their area of expertise. However, is it ok to answer a follow up question by a journalist on such an area by making their limits of expertise known and citing only scientific sources to support any answer to a question outside of their primary area of expertise?

Finally, here are  Associate Professor Wiles’s Top Ten Tips for working with the media:

• A Scientist’s Perspective: Siouxsie Wiles gives her Top Ten Tips for working with the media.